Thermostats typically have multiple functions that require user input, such as setting time of day, day of week, programming temperature set points or programming user settings.
Control panels typically include an assortment of buttons for operating the thermostat and adjusting the settings. Adjustment of the settings using the assortment of buttons can often times be confusing to the user and require detailed review of user manuals and instruction guides in order to properly operate the thermostat and adjust the settings to the user's liking.
In some cases a liquid crystal display (LCD) may be provided that includes touch pads populated on the display screen. The touch pad may include numerals, word phrases or graphics (collectively, “icons”) that appear on the display screen. By touching the appropriate icon, the user can make adjustments to the functioning of the thermostat and activate specific modes of operation or make setting adjustments. Some display screens include so many icons that is difficult for the user to find the appropriate icon. Also when multiple icons are displayed on a screen so that the maximum number of functions may be identified via the icons on the single screen, the size of each individual icon may tend be small. Due to the small size of the icon buttons displayed on the screen and the over-population of the display screen with multiple icon buttons, it can be very difficult for a user to operate such a thermostat.
Some thermostats are known to have mechanical buttons or switches (“hard buttons”). Such hard buttons are commonly used in combination with touch pads (“soft buttons”) on a LCD. For example, thermostats are known that have an “UP” button pad and a “DOWN” button pad disposed within two apertures formed in the face of a housing, and being the only hard buttons provided by the thermostat. Such buttons have a flexible arm interconnecting each of the buttons. The arm is mounted behind the housing and cannot be touched or viewed by a user when the thermostat housing is assembled. The flexible arm provides for movement of the two button pads. Some thermostats have multiple hard buttons on different portions of the thermostat housing. The use of the hard buttons can be confusing to a user when there are multiple buttons populating the thermostat housing. Further, when the thermostat includes multiple hard buttons and multiple touch pads on a display screen the interaction and combination of usage of such hard buttons and soft buttons can be confusing to a user. In such cases the proper combination of when to use the hard button in combination with the soft button and the proper coordination and sequencing of the use of the hard and soft buttons can raise the level of complexity for a user beyond that which is comprehendible and such complexity may prevent the proper programming or operation of the thermostat. The present invention overcomes many of the above mentioned disadvantages of previously known thermostats.